1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an artificial fishing lure to which a skirt of multiple elastomeric strands is attached. More particularly, the invention concerns such a lure having improved fish-attracting properties, wherein the strands each comprise a plurality of clear elastomeric filaments adhered to each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Artificial fishing lures having a multi-strand flexible skirt concealing a fish hook which is attached to the body of the lure are known, as for example from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,468,881 (Gordon) and 4,735,012 (Smith et al). A commonly used material for the strands of the multi-strand skirts is rubber. The rubber strands are each generally square or rectangular in cross-section and loaded with filler and/or pigment. Such rubber strands are susceptible to degradation by ultraviolet light and heat, and often become fused to each other in tackle boxes left sitting in the sun.
Other types of artificial lures having multi-strand skirts are also known in the art. For example, such lures with skirts made from coalesced spandex filaments loaded with titanium dioxide particles amounting to about 2 to 4% by weight of the yarn (i.e., dull Lycra.RTM. spandex yarn, made by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company) were sold and used with little success in the late 1970s. The use of synthetic fibers that are colored with various luminous pigments is disclosed for fishing line, flies or raw material for lures in Offenlegungsschrift DE 33 28 075.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fishing lure having an improved multi-strand flexible skirt.